Ben Binder: Supporting Paul Danish

I support Paul Danish for county commissioner because of his sound judgement, common sense, and sharp wit — qualities which are sorely needed on the Board of County of Commissioners.

In the years I have lived in the city of Boulder, Paul has served on both the Boulder City Council and the Board of County Commissioners. I have had ample opportunity to observe his performance, and have always been impressed with his critical thinking and excellent communication skills. Paul truly appreciates citizen input, knows how to listen and cuts right through all of the bureaucratic BS. These traits are critical in today’s world of local Boulder politics where decisions are often based on doctrine, consultant studies and lengthy staff reports rather than citizen needs.

I’ll never forget an event which occurred in the early 1980s after Pearl Street was converted into a pedestrian mall and the Boulder City Council was tasked with developing rules and regulations to govern activities on the mall. Another city councilman, who was president of the old National State Bank on the corner of 13th and Pearl, wanted musicians to audition and obtain permits before performing on the mall. He argued for permits because he did not like the sound of a saxophone player who often played in front of his bank. To keep things from becoming overly bureaucratic and complex, Paul Danish said “Dick, can’t you do us all a favor and just slip the guy five bucks and ask him to play down the street?” After a quick round of laughter, they moved on to the next topic.

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Please read former Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall’s recognition of Paul Danish on the Senate floor:

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